BSB PREVIEW: #24 Vols Head North for Border Battle at Kentucky

April 30, 2026 | Baseball

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LEXINGTON, Ky. – After a two-week stretch at home, No. 24 Tennessee opens the month of May on the road with another key SEC series against Kentucky in Lexington this weekend.

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Game & Broadcast Info

Opponent: Kentucky Wildcats
Dates: May 1-3
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Venue: Kentucky Proud Park (5,000)
Watch: SEC Network+
Listen: Vol Network/UT Athletics App
Live Stats: UTStats.com
Game 1: Friday, May 1 – 6:30 p.m. ET (SECN+)
Game 2: Saturday, May 2 – 2 p.m. ET (SECN+)
Game 3: Sunday, May 3 – 1 p.m. ET (SECN+)

#24/NR Tennessee (30-15 | 10-11 SEC)

Roster Schedule Stats

Kentucky (27-15 | 9-12 SEC)

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The Vols will look to win their second straight road series after sweeping No. 9 Mississippi State three weeks ago when they take on the Wildcats at Kentucky Proud Park.

GAMEDAY INFO

For all your gameday information regarding this weekend's series, click HERE.

BROADCAST INFO

Dick Gabriel (PxP) and Keith Madison (analyst) will have the call for all three games this weekend on SEC Network+ and the ESPN app.

Fans can also listen to the Voice of Tennessee Baseball John Wilkerson call the action for the Vol Network (FM 99.1/AM 990). A free audio stream will also be available on UTSports.com, the Tennessee Athletics App and the Varsity App.

PROBABLE STARTING PITCHERS

Game 1 – Friday (6:30 pm):
UT: RHP Tegan Kuhns (10 GS, 3-3, 2.90 ERA)
UK: LHP Ben Cleaver (10 GS, 1-3, 4.60 ERA)

Game 2 – Saturday (2 pm):
UT: LHP Evan Blanco (11 GS, 5-2, 3.84 ERA)
UK: RHP Jaxon Jelkin (11 GS, 6-2, 3.96 ERA)

Game 3 – Sunday (1 pm):
UT: RHP Landon Mack (11 GS, 3-4, 5.01 ERA)
UK: RHP Connor Mattison (4 GS, 2-1, 5.81 ERA)

SERIES HISTORY

Vols vs. Wildcats
Overall: Tennessee leads, 184-158
in Knoxville: Tennessee leads, 104-74
in Lexington: Kentucky leads, 82-76
at Neutral Sites: Tennessee leads, 4-2
Last 10 Meetings: Tennessee leads, 6-4
Last Meeting: April 20, 2025 (L, 8-2 in Knoxville)

The only team Tennessee has played more times in baseball then Kentucky is Vanderbilt. The Vols and Wildcats have faced off 342 times in a rivalry that dates back to 1909. UT has won six of its last 10 meetings between the two programs but will look to avenge a home series loss to the Cats last season in Knoxville.

NOTABLE

Weekly Honors Aplenty
Tegan Kuhns and Trent Grindlinger have racked up the awards and honors this week after key performances in UT's series win over No. 13 Alabama last week.

Both earned weekly honors from the SEC on Monday as Kuhns was named the league's pitcher of the week while Grindlinger was tabbed as the co-freshman of the week.

The recognition didn't stop there as both Kuhns and Grindlinger garnered national attention, as well. Kuhns was named the Golden Spikes Award Player of the Week on Monday before also being named the NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy National Pitcher of the Week on Tuesday. He was also selected to the Baseball American National Team of the Week after tossing an eight-inning, complete-game shutout in the first game of Friday's doubleheader sweep of the Crimson Tide. The sophomore right-hander allowed just three hits and one walk while racking up nine strikeouts to earn the win.

Perfect Game announced Grindlinger as its national freshman of the week on Tuesday afternoon. A main catalyst for the Vols' offensive success against the Tide, Grindlinger recorded multiple hits in all three games of the series. Seven of the California native's eight hits for the week came against Alabama, as he batted .583 with a double, two home runs and five RBIs to help lead the Big Orange to a pair of much-needed wins.

Blaine Back On Track
Sophomore slugger Blaine Brown busted out of his slump in a major way, boosting the Tennessee offense with a monster week at the plate in which he led or tied for the team lead in multiple offensive categories, including runs (six), hits (eight), doubles (two), home runs (three), extra-base hits (five), RBIs (six) and total bases (19).

Brown slashed .500/.529/1.188 for the week and had a hit in all four games, including three multi-hit performances to help lead the Vols to a 3-1 record and an important series win over Alabama. In UT's doubleheader sweep of the Crimson Tide on Friday, Brown totaled five hits and three runs, including a 3-for-3 performance in the series finale with a pair of long balls and four RBIs. All three of his hits in the game drove in runs and his first homer of the contest proved to be the game-deciding hit as it broke a 3-3 tie and gave the Vols a lead they would not relinquish.

Shuffling the Weekend Rotation
While the names are the same, the Vols have decided to shuffle their starting pitching rotation for this weekend's series at Kentucky. Kuhns will slide back into the Friday night role while Evan Blanco will take over as the Saturday starter after starting all 11 series finales for UT so far this season. After three consecutive starts in series openers, Landon Mack is slated to get the starting nod for Sunday's series finale.

OPPONENT SCOUT

Kentucky Wildcats (27-15, 9-12 SEC)

2025 Record: 31-26 (13-17 SEC)
2025 Postseason: NCAA Clemson Regional (2-2)
2026 SEC Preseason Poll: 11^th
Head Coach: Nick Mingione
- Overall Record: 320-207 (10^th year)
- Record at UK: Same
Preseason All-Conference Selections (2):
- SS Tyler Bell (1^st Team), SP Ben Cleaver (2^nd Team)

The Wildcats salvaged their series at South Carolina last weekend with a 9-5 victory in Sunday's series finale.

ON DECK

The Vols return home for a full week of home games next week, starting with a midweek contest against Presbyterian on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before hosting No. 3/4 Texas at Lindsey Nelson Stadium starting on Friday night.